W. HOCKEY | Elis drop seventh straight

The scoreboard favored cats over dogs this weekend as the women’s hockey team lost consecutive games against the Quinnipiac Bobcats (4–5–1, 3–0–1 ECAC) and the Princeton Tigers (4–1–1, 3–0–1).

The games marked the sixth and seventh consecutive losses for Yale (0–7, 0–4) and its third and fourth straight defeats in ECAC play. On Friday night, Quinnipiac shut out the Bulldogs 3–0, then on Saturday afternoon the team suffered a 7–1 loss at Princeton. Still, head coach Joakim Flygh said the team showed improvement, especially during Friday’s matchup.

“It was a complete hockey game from us,” Flygh said of the Quinnipiac game. “We gave a hell of an effort, and we haven’t had that all year.”

Goalkeeper Genny Ladiges ’12, who blocked 41 of Quinnipiac’s 44 shots in Friday’s game, added that the third period was the best the team has played this season. During this period, Ladiges blocked all 11 shots on goal.

The Bobcats first scored at 13:51 during the first period. Quinnipiac made 12 shots on goal, whereas Yale only recorded two. At 0:44 in the second period, Quinnipiac defenseman Regan Boulton tipped in a rebound, and another shot off a rebound got behind Ladiges at 9:03, bringing the Bobcats up 3–0. Yale struggled in the second period, as the team took four penalties and made only three shots on goal in comparison to Quinnipiac’s 21.

Although the game did not turn around in the third period, the Bulldogs stepped up their intensity and prevented any subsequent Bobcat goals. Quinnipiac made only 11 shots on goal in this period, and Ladiges managed to stop all of them. Yale made eight of its 13 shots in this period, and Flygh said the team did better defensively by keeping Quinnipiac outside on the boards. He added that throughout the game the team’s penalty kill was effective. Quinnipiac never scored on a power play.

“We executed the systems and competed for every battle,” team captain Aleca Hughes ’12 said in an email Sunday.

That momentum carried into the first period of Saturday’s game, but the Elis fell behind in the second period. Flygh said the team “dug itself a hole it could not get out of.”

Although Princeton scored only one goal in the first period, the Tigers quickly scored three in the second at 1:55, 5:11 and 8:44. One Yale goal was waived as the puck had been kicked into the net.

“Our defensive zone coverage regressed from Friday,” Ladiges said. “I didn’t do my part in helping our team out. I let out too many rebounds that led to two goals.”

Ladiges made 24 saves before freshman goalie Jaimie Leonoff ’15 took the net in the third period and blocked nine shots.

Yale had eight power plays throughout the game, and finally capitalized on one in the third period. At 7:51, forward Stephanie Mock ’15 came off an assist from Hughes to score the Bulldog’s only goal. It was the freshman’s first goal of her Yale career and the team’s fifth of the season.

Both Hughes and Flygh said Mock was proving to be a talented and skilled player.

“Her goal was a great effort, I’m excited to see her score more as the season progresses,” Hughes said.

Despite the Bulldog’s breakthrough on the scoreboard, it was too late for a comeback. the Tigers scored three goals in the third period and finished the game ahead 7–1.

In preparation for next weekend’s home games, the team will focus on improving defensively, Flygh said, by helping out the goaltenders and giving a 60-minute effort in every game.

“We have to build on the power play and capitalize on those opportunities,” he said.

The Elis will take the ice again this weekend at Ingalls Rink on Friday at 7 p.m. against Union and Saturday at 4 p.m. against Rensselaer.